Rainy Weather Food...

    With all the stinking rain we have been having, I was really beginning to feel like a nice, hot bowl of soup. I always seem to crave comfort food when the weather is gloomy.
    French Onion Soup, despite the lengthy prep time, is pretty simple to make. Once you render down the onions it really comes together quite quickly. Just throw all the ingredients into the pot with the onions, and let it simmer a short while.
   Since this recipe yields 6 servings and there is just little old me to eat it, I portioned out the rest of the soup into smaller containers. This way when ever a soup craving arises, I can just pull a container of soup out of the freezer. I just add the bread and the cheeses right before I am ready to eat it.

Baked French Onion Soup:
Loosely Adapted from a recipe from the Blog, Closet Cooking

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

4 pounds onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine (or beef or vegetable broth + 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar)
3 cups beef broth (or vegetable broth)

2 cups water
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste
4 1/2 inch thick slices of day old bread, toasted
sliced Swiss cheese (1 slice for each bowl of soup)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

(1) Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat.
(2) Add the onions and cook slowly at low with the lid on until golden brown and caramelized, about 3-4 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

Before....

And finally, after 4 hours.

(3) Add the wine and deglaze the  pan.

(4) Add the broth, water, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil at medium heat.
(5) Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.

(7) Preheat oven broiler.
(8) Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls and place the bowls on a baking sheet.
(9) Place a toasted slice of bread over each bowl and top with the Parmesan and Swiss cheeses.

10. Place bowls under broiler until cheese melts, only 2-3 minutes.

bon appetit

* This recipe makes 6 portions.